Author Archives: Denise Boggs

Resist the Fleeting Thoughts

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A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.   The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others.   Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. Isaiah 35:8 (New King James Version)

Highway of HolinessHave you ever been driving down the interstate, and all of a sudden with one fleeting thought you decide to exit off and take the back road?  The back roads will slow you down and hinder you from getting to your desired destination.

So, we must all resist these thoughts.  Take every thought captive, especially those thoughts that lead you astray.  The thought may be as simple as, “I would rather take the scenic route,” but you fail to remember it was the scenic road that led you off course before.  We must learn from our mistakes so we don’t repeat them. Once you are on the Highway, stay on it and resist fleeting thoughts that get you off track.

Stay on Isaiah 35:8, the Highway of Holiness.

Are you Wondering Along Without Direction?

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“You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with your and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess.” Deut. 5:33

Have you ever been really lost and did not know which direction to go?  If so, you understand the insecurity of wondering along and perhaps the fear of not knowing where to go.

Recently, I was traveling and became lost in a big city.  It was a location I had never been, so I did not know which way to go. After completing my business at the courthouse, I asked the clerk how to get to the interstate. She seemed quiet annoyed at the question but hurriedly gave me directions. After circling around the city I realized I was very lost.  So I asked a businessman at the red light; he too was in a hurry, so his directions were equally as confusing. After circling around the city for the third time, I stopped and asked a little old man at the gas station. He wasn’t in a hurry; he had all the time in the world. He paid attention to my question and carefully gave me directions, which were very easy to follow. Within just a few minutes I was on my way.

In our world everyone seems to be in a hurry; we encounter people every day, the lady at the check -out counter or the man at the bank, who are busy doing their jobs and don’t have time for more questions.  So if you need directions, you simply need to find someone who has plenty of time. You will know you have found the right person; they will pay close attention and listen to your questions and take time to give you the answer.

When you need directions in life, don’t give up after the first person does not have time. Keep asking until you find someone who does. God has all the time in the world. He will listen to your questions, and He will give you clear directions. Don’t keep circling around and around like the children of Israel; listen to the directions of the Lord and obey His voice.

 

Deeper Than an Occasional Encounter

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“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord, and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple” Psalms 27:4, Amplified.

David was not satisfied to simply have an occasional encounter with God.  His desire was to dwell in the presence of the Lord always.  I have found that Psalms 27:4 holds a powerful key to dwelling in the presence of the Lord!  The key is to meditate on His Word. In Psalms 1:2, David said he meditates on the Word of God day and night.

As you dwell in the presence of the Lord and meditate on His Word, you will grow in a stronger relationship with Him.  You will begin to experience God in a deeper way.  His love will penetrate the difficult areas of your life, and bring healing to your innermost hurts.

As you go through your day, choose a verse and meditate on it, quote it over and over, and then write out the impressions you have regarding that verse.  Ask God to speak to you through His Word, and as you do that you will find your spirit is lifted up above your circumstances and you are dwelling in His presence.  As this becomes a daily practice, you will soon find that you can dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

The Power of God

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“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34

power of GodHave you ever had to suffer because someone else disobeyed God? This was the life that Jesus lived on earth. His entire purpose was wrapped around paying a price He did not owe. Therefore, you can go to Jesus and talk to Him about you suffering because He completely understands how you feel.

Jesus suffered and died for the sins He never committed. He was innocent and never sinned, yet God required him to suffer and die.  What kept Him from saying, “It’s not my fault”, or, “It’s just not fair, why me?”  What kept Him from self pity? I believe that forgiveness was the “Power of God” that kept Jesus on the path headed to the cross.

Jesus walked on planet earth, feeling all the pain that we do, yet He did not give in to the pain. He walked before us and showed us how to walk daily in the Power of God as He walked in forgiveness. At the moment when He could have called down ten thousand angels to help Him, He instead cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

This same power from God is available to you right now. Choose to forgive and you will see the “Power of God” released in your situation.

It is Time to Receive the Truth

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Do not believe the lies that the enemy throws at you.

Trust God, for his word is True!

“Receive and welcome the Word, which implanted and rooted [in your hearts], contains the power to save your soul.” James 1:21 Amp

receive the truthOne morning, I overslept.  The sun was already out, shining brightly through the window.  I ran to the garden, and as I ran down the sidewalk I saw that the dew was gone.  I had missed meeting with God.   I immediately had an old thought, a lie I had believed for years.

The lie was: “If I mess up, God will not speak to me.”  To my surprise, when I set down in the swing, I saw one drop of dew on the tip of a leaf.  I reached my hand out and the last pearl of the morning dropped into my hand as the Lord lovingly said, “I have been waiting for you.”

The enemy could not use this lie anymore. God did love me, and He wanted to bless me.  The truth I received had finally replaced the lie that if I messed up He would not be there for me.  God’s presence was there.  The lie was exposed and the enemy was defeated.

The enemy plants many lies in our minds. One lie is connected to another like a chain; that’s why one thought leads to another, and then another. If you did not receive affirmation from your father as a child, you may have believed the lie of rejection. “There is something wrong with me” is just one example. If you have this lie, it is hidden away from sight, but is silently working to convince you that you are not good enough.  If you struggle with this lie, it must been seen as a lie and not the truth.  You must recognize the voice of your enemy and stop listening to him.

Fully receive the truth, deep in your innermost being, that you are deeply loved and fully accepted by God.  God is for you, and He accepts you because of who you are, not because of your accomplishments.  With this truth deep in your spirit, the motivation for everything you do will change.  From this point on, you will serve God because you are accepted and not in order to be accepted.

Each lie has a structure of set behaviors and responses. We are transformed daily by the renewing of our mind.  We tear down the old house and replace it with a brand new house full of the promises of God. Every thought that comes from a lie must be replaced with truth if you want to live in peace.  Taking one lie at a time and replacing it daily with truth is key.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that if we renew our mind daily, we will not faint when adversity comes.  Today, you can begin to tear down the lies that the enemy has planted in your mind.

Dwelling in the Peace of God

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“I will lie down, both in peace and in sleep for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.

As God’s children, we possess a powerful gift that the rest of this world is trying to obtain.  We possess peace.  We can lie down at night after a long, hard day with peace in our hearts knowing that the Lord is going to take care of everything that is troubling us.  That is a wonderful gift.

Most of this world longs to be rescued from the troubles of life.  Although we can’t escape every problem, as Christians, we can be assured that we serve a God who is big enough to take care of us in every way!  We just need to be willing to turn to Him and release the troubles we carry.

If you know of someone who is constantly allowing the troubles of life to burden them, pray for them.  Ask them if you can help carry some of that load for them.  Helping others find the peace of God is an act of unconditional service, and certainly a blessing of Burden Bearing.

We should all desire for others to dwell in the peace and safety that God offers.  Without His peace, we are sure to give up and lose the hope we need to be able to conquer life’s difficulties.

Change the Atmosphere in Your Home?

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I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

Did you know that when you have a thankful heart the atmosphere of your home will change?  Try it, and see how the Lord will transform your home into a peaceful habitation.

When you start offering Thanksgiving and Praise, you will immediately find that it only takes one person giving thanks and soon the whole house will be full of thanksgiving.   The following verses from the Old Testament gives an account of how the glory of the Lord filled the house when they praised and thanked Him.

“And the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets– indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound, to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever, “that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.” 2 Chronicles 5:12-14

Share Thanks in your home today, and watch how the Lord will fill your house.

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.”    Psalms 140:1

Acknowledging God

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“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me” (Psalm 131:1)

We should always acknowledge God first in our lives.

If we allow it, pride can get the best of us.  It can steer us into areas where we believe we’ll benefit the most, and lead us away from the more practical areas.  It can puff us up into believing we are the best, we are in control, and we don’t need anyone else.  Pride can lead us to the top and assure us that we are right where we need to be.

 

However, the Bible tells us a different story about pride.  It says,

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs. 29:23).

The humble attitude of a person will elevate them to the place of honor. Having a humble attitude means separating ourselves from our own accomplishments or achievements, and acknowledging the fact that God is the One who has given us the ability to achieve what we desire. Always acknowledging God first will help us to maintain a humble attitude and steer us clear of pride. 

“In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths” (Proverbs. 3:6)

When we acknowledge Him first, God is the One who will lead us to the place of honor!

Sin that is hidden

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“I acknowledge my sin to you and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgression to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told] – then you [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5 amp).

Sin is an action that originates from something much bigger, an iniquity.  The enemy wants the iniquity to stay hidden. David realized that his sin was an expression of the same iniquities in his family line.  Once he realized this, he asked God to continue unfolding the past until all was exposed.

The destruction of a generational iniquity can be traced back in a family tree.  Generational iniquities are behind sinful habits that are hard to break.  Read Psalm 18:23.  An iniquity is hidden below the surface; it is the bent in your nature, the motive and pull you feel towards certain things that God says to stay away from.  Sin is the action that carries out the iniquity.

David discovered that there was something pulling him towards certain sins. It was a hidden and subconscious fault that caused him to automatically do certain things.

David prayed: “Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults” (Psalm 21: 12 Amp).

How to Experience the Love of God?

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There was a wonderful Christian song written several years ago titled, “It’s My Fathers House.”  One line went something like this, “There is a big, big house with lots and lots of rooms and a big, big, table with lots and lots of food.  A big, big yard where we can play football…It’s my Fathers House.”

This song portrayed our Father God’s house as being home we can’t wait to go to.   Like coming home after a long journey, you can’t wait to get there and you can smell cookies baking even before you get to the front door.  When I am preparing our home for our kids to return, I make sure they feel loved with God’s unconditional love.

The prodigal son found God’s love as he walked toward his father’s house that day.  Even after he had squandered all his inheritance, he still saw his father’s loving arms reaching out towards him as he returned home.  His father represented our Heavenly Father, full of love, grace, and mercy.  Everyone needs to experience Father’s love and know that God loves them no matter what they have done.